Study abroad considerations (con’t)
In this Issue: One question to ask your student about study abroad
Today I want to share a guest post from David Taylor, Assistant Dean of Global Study Away Programs.
Last week, the Daily Deac shared a Q&A about the new Single Application process for study abroad. The most important point was this: because far more students currently prefer to study abroad in the fall than Wake Forest can accommodate, students who apply only to fall programs need to understand that they may not receive a study abroad placement for 2027-28.
So today, I want to suggest a conversation families should consider having with their students who want to study abroad. Ask them:
“What matters more to you: studying abroad, or studying abroad in the fall?”
There is no right or wrong answer – just what is right for each individual student.
If your student says, “For me, it really is fall or nothing,” that’s useful information. They may have good reasons for wanting to be on campus in the spring. But they should submit their application understanding that “fall or nothing” really could result in nothing for the 2027-28 academic year. (Note that while students not placed in the initial round of applications could apply for our Second Round of applications – either as an individual application or as a group of up to 10 students – the Second Round is only for spring programs that still have openings).
If your student says, “What I really care about is having the experience of living and studying abroad,” that’s a different answer. In that case, you should encourage them to take a serious look at spring programs and identify one or more they would genuinely be excited to attend.
For students who are saying they will only consider the fall, you might ask a few follow-up questions:
- Why does fall feel so important to you?
- Is that because of something you personally need or want to be on campus for in the spring — or because your friends are talking about going in the fall?
- If January came and you learned you weren’t placed in a fall program, would you still feel that choosing fall only had been worth the risk?
- Are there spring programs you haven’t seriously considered yet?
- Which would disappoint you more: going abroad in the spring instead of the fall, or not going abroad for a semester at all?
These aren’t questions families need to answer for their students. They’re rhetorical questions that may help your students clarify their own priorities.
And there are genuine reasons to consider spring. Students can apply with larger friend groups for spring programs (up to groups of 10 people), and being on campus during the fall can create opportunities for career fairs, internship and job recruiting, networking and other experiences that often happen early in the academic year.
What I would not recommend is assuming that the fall-capacity issue will somehow affect other students but not yours.
If your student chooses fall only, that should be an informed choice — one they are comfortable with even if the outcome in January is that they are not placed to study abroad at all in 2027-28 (or that they would need to apply during the Second Round to spring programs that still have availability).
This is a much better conversation to have now, while your student can still think through their application strategy, than after placement decisions are made. And one important final note: Initial placement decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.
Many thanks to David for his perspective on questions that could help our students firm up their study abroad strategy!